Thread dispensing device



March 6, 1945.

C. F. WARREN THREAD DISPENSING DEVICE Filed April 15, 1-942 I N V EN TOR. Charles 2 ZZ/azrrew Patented Mar. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES ,PATENVTI'} OFFICE THREAD DISPENSING DEVICE Charles F. Warren, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Hydraulic Impact Tool Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a limited partnership Application'April 15, 1942, Serial No. 439,033

I l2 Claims.

This invention relates to thread dispensers, and is illustrated both as embodied in the structure of a spool and as an attachment to be applied to a standard spool of thread. I

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedthread dispensing device.

- Another object of the invention is to provid a spool having at one end an outwardly open cupped structure formed with spaced slits in its rim, adapted to frictionally grip a thread extended between them so as to present said portion of the thread in convenient position to be grasped.

It is-also an object of the invention to provide an attachment to be secured to one end of a spool,

said attachment having an outwardly-open,-

cupped end structure with at least two slits in its rim portion, spaced apart to frictionally-supportalength of thread extended between them over the bottom of the cupped structure.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide such an attachment to-be secured tothe'end of a spool of thread, with a thread guide rotatably carried by the attachmentyhaving a radially extending arm with an aperture therein, the attachment including a cupped outer end with spaced slits in its rim to frictionally grip a length of thread extended between them in spaced relation to the bottom of the cupped structure.

' Other objects and advantages of'the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a spool of thread with a thread dispensing attachment secured thereto in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line 2-2 on Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is an axial sectional view of a-spool having one end formed as a cupped thread dispensing device in accordance with this invention.

-While there are shown in the drawing and described herein two forms of the invention'asembodied respectively in anattachment for a--spool and in a special form of spool, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedito the specific forms or applications disclosed, but includes all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is intended to be applied to a standard thread spool such as that illustrated at A, upon p tween the fingers when another length of is wanted fromthe spool .A.

"pulled upwardly at B the thread will unwind from the spool and will cause the guide arm 'I' which the thread Bis wound in the usual manner. The thread dispensing attachment comprises a head portion I having a stem 2 preferably split at 2*- so asto render it slightly resilient for snug insertion in the axial bore C of the spool A. The

head portion l is outwardly concave or cupped, as seen at 3, and the lip or rim 4 of the cup 3 is formed with a plurality of notches 5, peripherally spaced at intervals therein and preferably arranged in pairs, with the two notches of each pair diametrically opposite. The notches 5 are of V- shaped form, with their side walls converging downwardly and leading to more acutely formed slits 6 which may :be substantially knife cuts in the material so that a thread drawn into the notch 5 may be wedged downwardly'intofrictional engagement with the side walls of the slits 6, and will be held thereby." Said slits 8 terminate downwardly at a substantial distance above the bottom of the cup form 3.

Thus, when a length of the thread B is un-. wound from the spool, the portion of the length next to the spool will be laid across a pair of diametrically opposed notches 5, 5 and forced downwardly into their associated slits 6, 6 with a short section of the thread extending at B be-- tween theslits, and across the upwardly opencupped portion 3, in spaced'relation to the bottom of the cup. The length of thread beyond the section B dotted at B in Figure 2, is broken by' a sharp pull against one edge of the slit 6, leaving the portion B stretched'across the cupped form 3 and readily accessible to be picked up be- To facilitate the unreeling of the thread 13 from the spool A a guide member 1 is rotatably mounted upona shoulder 8 disposed between the upper end of the spool A and the under surface of the head portion l. The member I is shown as a flat arm, having a guide aperture or eye 9 through which the end portion of the thread is lead upwardly as at B in Figure .1. If the spool A is held fixed, and the thread is Then it may. be swung into the nearest of the notches 5 and thus across to the opposite notch 5 so as to be forced downwardly into frictional engagement with the slits 6, 6" preparatory to breaking off the length-of thread which is to be used. As already indicated, this leavesa short section of thread at B stretched between the thread C of the spool, or for turning the stem in forcing it into the bore of another spool to which the attachment is to be transferred. Preferably, the fluted portion terminates below the upper rim of the head I just below the lower ends of diametrically opposite slits 6f, 6 and in spaced ing an axial bore and provided at one end with an outwardly concave surface of substantially greater diameter than the bore of the spool and having at least two slits in its rim peripherally spaced apart and dimensioned to frictionally grip a thread drawn into them and positioned to support the thread between them in spaced relation to the said'concave surface.

2. A thread dispenser comprising a spool, having an axial bore and provided at one end with an outwardly open cupped surface of substanthe slits 6 so as not to interfere with insertion of the thread in said slits.

As a modification of the invention, Figure 4' shows a spool D, having its upper end flange outwardly cupped at l3 and formed with notches l5 at intervals in its periphery, each notch leading to a slit IS in which a thread may be .wedged' and held in the same manner as in the slits '6 of. the attachment already described. In this form of the invention the guide member may be omitted, but as the thread E is unwound from the spool to the desired length, a short section of the thread E is lead into a pair of diametrically opposed notches l5, l5 and their associated slits I6; it, as shown in Figure 4, so that the desired length of thread extending at E may be broken off, leaving the short section E available to be grasped the next time a length of thread is wanted from the spool D. If desired, as a matter of convenience, such a spool may be mounted loosely on a spindle F, secured to any convenient form of base G, so that the spool will rotate readily as the thread is unreeled therefrom. In this connection it may be noted that if the spool A is similarly mounted for rotation on a fixed spindle, the thread may be withdrawn therefrom through the guide aperture 9 of the arm I by a pull in a lateral or radial direction, in which case the spool itself will rotate and the guide arm 1- will remain extended in the direction of the pull.

Either with the attachment shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, or with the spool structure of Figure 4,. the dispensing of thread from a s ool is greatly facilitated, particularly in that a short length is always conveniently presented across the rim of the cupped formation, where it may be easily rasped between the fingers without the aid of a shar instrument and without any hunting for the free end of the thread; This short section of the thread remains taut because it has been first rawn into the notch nearest the body of the thread and has become initially wedged into the slit of that notch; then it has been pressed down into the opposite notch and its slit while held under tension. Finally, the thread is broken off outside the second slit, either by a lateral pull against one edge of the slit or by downward pressure between its converging edges; but, in' either case. after the break, the end of the thread is left fully engaged, frictionally, in the slit,so-

that the short section stretched across the cupped form will remain under tension and readily accessible.

Eitherthe attachment of Figures 1, 2 and 3, or the unitary spool structure of Figure 4 may be constructed of any suitable material, including wood, metal or plastic composition.

I claim as my invention:

1. A thread dispenser comprising a spool havtially greater diameter than the bore of the spool and having a pair of slits disposed in substantially diametrically opposite portions of its rim and dimensioned. to frictionally grip a thread drawn into them and positioned to support the thread between them in spaced relation to the cupped surface.

3. A thread dispenser comprising a spool having an axial bore and provided at one end with an outwardly open cupped formation of substantially greater diameter than said bore and having a plurality of slits'at intervals in itsrim and comprising pairs of substantially diametrically opposite slits, said slits being radially disposed and each dimensioned to. frictionally grip a thread similarly gripped by the diametrically opposite slit, said slits being positioned to support the thread in spaced relation to the cupped surface.

4. A thread dispenser comprising, in combina tion, a spool, an outwardly open cupped member on one end of the spool provided with thread anchoring slits in its rim, and a guide mounted for rotation about the axis of the spool, intermediate the spool and said rim having an eye for the thread.

-5. 'A thread dispenser comprising, in combination, a spool, an outwardly open cupped member on one end of the spool provided with thread anchoring slits in its rim, and a guide intermediate the spool and said rim having an eye for the thread, with means mounting said guide for movement of its eye peripherally adjacent one end of the spool.

6. A thread dispensing attachment for a spool comprising a stem dimensioned for insertion in the axial bore of a spool, and a head on said stem positioned adjacent one end of the spool, said head having an outwardly open cupped form with a pair of slits in its rim peripherally spaced apart and dimensioned to frictionally grip a thread drawn into said slits and extending: between them across the cup form in spaced relation to the bottom of said cup.

'7. In a thread dispensing attachment as defined in claim 6, an annular shoulder formed on said attachment, a thread guide rotatable on said shoulder and provided with an eye for the thread disposed radially beyond said head of the attachment at a plane intermediate the end of the'spool and said rim of the cupped head.

8. In a thread dispensing attachment as defined in claim 6, a shoulder adiacent. said stem engageable with the end of the spool when. the the stem is inserted therein, said shoulder being of annular form, and a thread guide rotatably mounted on said shoulder and formed with an eye for the thread disposed radially beyond said head at a plane intermediate the end of the spool and the rim of the cupped head.

9. A thread dispenser comprising a spool provided at one end with a head having a pair of slits in its rim peripherally spaced apart and dimensioned to frictionally grip a thread drawn the outer end of said head, and a thread guide having an eye for the thread and rotatably mounted for movement of its eye around the head ina plane intermediate the plane of said rim and the body of the spool on which the thread is-wound.

10. A thread dispenser comprising, in combination, a spool, a head member on one end of the member intermediate the spool and said rim having'an eye for the thread, one of said meming an axial bore and provided at one end with structure having slits disposed respectively at opposite sides of the axis of the spooL-with the adjacentends of said slits'at opposite sides of said axis spaced apart by a distance substantially greater than the diameter of 'said bore, said slits being dimensioned to frictionally grip a thread drawn into them and being of a'depth to support between them a length of said thread longer than the, diameter of the bore of the spool, the end surface of said structure being-recessed, whereby said thread is supported at a substantial distance outwardly from the trans axial surface of the structure between its slitted portions. CHARLES F. WARREN I bers being mounted for rotation relatively to the, 

